Category: Real Soldiers

Andy sends us a link from Chicago about veteran Army Reservist Brian Eckerman who saw a woman on the tracks of a train and a train was due to arrive soon;

Brian Eckerman jumped to action when a he saw a woman he thought had fallen on the train tracks.

“I saw that she was reaching for the third rail and not actively trying to get up,” said Eckerman.

But she didn’t fall. She likely wanted to die, but not on his watch.

“Thank God it all worked out,” said Eckerman.

Eckerman learned electrical currents in the U.S. Army reserves, and with a ballerina’s precision he danced with an unwilling partner over the first third rail.

He credits his mom, a retired CPD officer, with the instillation of compassion.

“I credit her with raising me right to always help somebody in need,” said Eckerman.

Video at this link.

We’ll rescue you if you want us to or not.

ROS sends us a link to International Business Times which writes about Richard Overton, believed to be our oldest veteran;

According to the Houston Chronicle, Overton, born on May 11, 1906, in Bastrop County, Texas, is a World War II Army veteran who fought in the South Pacific. After the war, he moved to Austin, sold furniture and worked for the state treasurer’s office. He still drives a car and walks without a cane.

He’s been invited to the White House for today’s festivities. There’s a video interview at KEYE-TV. His secret to his long life? “Whiskey, cigars and “staying out of trouble.””

Those who know him are amazed by him. “It’s not every day you get to meet a 107 year old World War II veteran that still drives and smokes 12 cigars a day and has a 90 year old girlfriend and drives to church and cuts his grass and takes a baby aspirin a day,” says Allen Bergeron, a veteran’s consultant for the city of Austin.

So what is Overton’s secret to longevity? “Stay out of trouble, I guess, tend to your own business, don’t somebody gonna kill you now, they shootin’ at everybody now, every night, they shootin’ somebody, so you gotta be careful,” says Overton.

There were 80 and now there are four surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders who struck our first blow against the Japanese mainland four months after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. From the Associated Press;

Three of the four surviving Raiders attended the toast Saturday at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Their late commander, Lt. Gen. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, started the tradition but they decided this autumn’s ceremony would be their last.

“May they rest in peace,” Lt. Col. Richard Cole, 98, said before he and fellow Raiders – Lt. Col. Edward Saylor, 93, and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, 92 – sipped cognac from specially engraved silver goblets. The 1896 cognac was saved for the occasion after being passed down from Doolittle.

Hundreds invited to the ceremony, including family members of deceased Raiders, watched as the three each called out “here” as a historian read the names of all 80 of the original airmen.

The fourth surviving Raider, Lt. Col. Robert Hite, 93, couldn’t travel to Ohio because of health problems.

Hite is the last survivor of the Raiders who were captured by the Japanese. Of the eight who were prisoners, one died while in captivity and three others were executed by their captors.

It was the 8th of November, 1965 when Specialist Lawrence Joel proved his mettle near Bien Hoa, conducting Operation Hump with his fellow paratroopers of the 1/503rd of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. From his citation for the Medal of Honor;

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp6c. Joel demonstrated indomitable courage, determination, and professional skill when a numerically superior and well-concealed Viet Cong element launched a vicious attack which wounded or killed nearly every man in the lead squad of the company. After treating the men wounded by the initial burst of gunfire, he bravely moved forward to assist others who were wounded while proceeding to their objective. While moving from man to man, he was struck in the right leg by machine gun fire. Although painfully wounded his desire to aid his fellow soldiers transcended all personal feeling. He bandaged his own wound and self-administered morphine to deaden the pain enabling him to continue his dangerous undertaking. Through this period of time, he constantly shouted words of encouragement to all around him. Then, completely ignoring the warnings of others, and his pain, he continued his search for wounded, exposing himself to hostile fire; and, as bullets dug up the dirt around him, he held plasma bottles high while kneeling completely engrossed in his life saving mission. Then, after being struck a second time and with a bullet lodged in his thigh, he dragged himself over the battlefield and succeeded in treating 13 more men before his medical supplies ran out. Displaying resourcefulness, he saved the life of 1 man by placing a plastic bag over a severe chest wound to congeal the blood. As 1 of the platoons pursued the Viet Cong, an insurgent force in concealed positions opened fire on the platoon and wounded many more soldiers. With a new stock of medical supplies, Sp6c. Joel again shouted words of encouragement as he crawled through an intense hail of gunfire to the wounded men. After the 24 hour battle subsided and the Viet Cong dead numbered 410, snipers continued to harass the company. Throughout the long battle, Sp6c. Joel never lost sight of his mission as a medical aidman and continued to comfort and treat the wounded until his own evacuation was ordered. His meticulous attention to duty saved a large number of lives and his unselfish, daring example under most adverse conditions was an inspiration to all. Sp6c. Joel’s profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

Big & Rich wrote a song about him;

SFC Joel retired in 1973, but we finally lost him in 1984, but we’ll never forget him.

The folks at the NRA Life of Duty and Brownells send us their latest video, part one of a profile of Dakota Myer;

Dakota Meyer is a country boy who grew up amongst the corn and tobacco fields in the rolling hills and lush farmland of Columbia, Kentucky. Awarded the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest honor for courage and valor, he was thrust into the spotlight of celebrity and nothing in his world could feel less heroic or less honorable than that.

ABC News sends us an interview they did with Juan Carlos Hernandez who was injured in Afghanistan while a member of an Army aircrew. While he was at Brooke Army Medical center, he got hook up with the folks at Ride 2 Recovery. You have to watch the interview video in order to get the full effect of Juan Carlos. His attitude is inspiring to say the least. Rather than me blathering on, just watch it;

ABC News spoke with U.S. Army veteran Juan Carlos Hernandez about his passion for sports, his military service and how the organization Ride 2 Recovery helped him heal after he lost half of his right leg while serving in Afghanistan. Today Hernandez is a hard core cyclist and dedicated Rider Assistant for Ride 2 Recovery, inspiring his fellow soldiers through programs like Challenges, Honor Ride and Project HERO — all aimed to improve the health and wellness of wounded veterans through cycling and to help them overcome obstacles they face. Watch the full interview for the ABC News original digital series, “Second Tour” below. Media organizations using excerpts of this reporting should credit/link to ABCNews.com and “Second Tour.”

ABC News has been doing a great job lately in regards to showing the troops in a positive light. And I like the fact that they send me links. I figure that I criticized them when they were wrong, I should compliment them when they’re doing right.